Philosophy, Politics & Economics

In an increasingly but unevenly interdependent world, analyses of normative claims (philosophy), power constellations (politics), and efficient allocation of resources (economics) must be brought together in order to achieve a sufficiently profound grasp of global political processes. While inspired by the long-established and highly successful PPE degree offered at the University of Oxford, AUP’s major sets itself apart with an integrated approach, so that courses across the three disciplines mutually reinforce each other. We will help you establish a solid academic foundation, with introductions to the main concepts and theories within philosophy, politics, and economics, and discuss what their respective merits and limits are. 

The educational goals for this major are as follows:

• You will grasp the main concepts, approaches and theories within philosophy, politics and economics.
• You will gain the ability to discern the assumptions and logics of distinct types of social scientific reasoning, to see how different modes of analysis interact, and what their respective merits and limits are.
• You will gain the ability to structure and analyze complex phenomena from different perspectives, and to evaluate policy choices and outcomes according to different criteria or logics.

We aim to equip you with the analytical tools you’ll need to understand crucial phenomena like globalization and democratization, as well as evaluate how policy choices affect human development. You’ll find that all three of the major’s disciplines are integral to helping you develop your critical thinking and reasoning skills, more effectively interpret the impact of political institutions on modern societies and systems, and master the ins and outs of government and business, with each course revealing new nuances and perspectives. 

With every single one of our majors, you’ll find a carefully curated medley of core courses and electives, which will provide you with the tools you need to establish an unshakeable foundation in the principles and concepts fundamental to your growth within your disciplines of choice. Many majors also enable you to specialize further within the broader area of study.

BROWSE ALL MAJORS AND REQUIREMENTS

The Philosophy, Politics and Economics core courses, which you must take as part of the major requirements, will provide you with the tools you’ll need to ground your present and future studies. Your introduction to the fundamentals of Philosophy, Politics and Economics will help pave the way for your successful completion of other Philosophy, Politics and Economics courses.